


Little Speedster

by Lady_Lightning



Series: Littleverse [15]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Green Lantern - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Littleverse, Multi, Neutral!Arthur, Non-Sexual Age Play, caregiver!Clark, caregiver!Diana, caregiver!Hal, caregiver!bruce, little!barry, neutral!J'onn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22415224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lightning/pseuds/Lady_Lightning
Summary: Bruce is a detective. He watches people and their interactions. Barry confuses him and earns his attention- what will Bruce find out about our Speedster? What secrets is Barry hiding? Bruce is determined to find out and Hal is more than willing to help.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen & Hal Jordan, Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne
Series: Littleverse [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1356301
Comments: 13
Kudos: 98





	1. Questioning

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I've been considering a story like this for a while because other than Barry, I can see some characters like Bruce being either a little or a caregiver. Well, this is me thinking that Bruce is a Caregiver and that he and Hal are an interesting couple.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Bruce was observant. Really observant. He was always watching things. He watched how people interacted, he was a detective after all. He was one of the smartest men on the planet so why was it that one person made him so confused?

Barry was who he loved to watch the most. There was something about Barry that had Bruce watching and Hal seemed to notice that. “Why don’t you ask him about whatever’s bothering you?” Hal asked as he came up and hugged him from the side. Hal was a really handsy lover.

Bruce returned the hug a bit, ignoring that everyone but Barry seemed to stare at him like they didn’t expect the Big Bad Bat to hug his boyfriend. To be fair, Bruce was always stand-offish. He shouldn’t be shocked that they hadn’t expected him to show affection, even if he looked grumpy- his cowl making it worse.

If his affection for such a strong-willed man was surprising, they were probably still in shock that he was actually a Caregiver and not a Neutral. Hal was a Caregiver too, just like most of them. Diana and Clark were Caregivers, John and Arthur were Neutrals and Barry- they assumed was either a Neutral or a Caregiver.

Barry hadn’t ever confirmed his Classification, and nobody had asked. Bruce even knew that information like that was private. If Barry wanted them to know, he’d tell them when he was ready. Bruce hadn’t looked into his Classification out of respect for their youngest league member. Barry was only 26, while everyone else was in their late twenties and some in their early thirties.

“I would if I knew just what was bothering me,” Bruce admitted. There was something off about Barry. He was a very happy and energetic person, he was friendly and respectful. But lately, he was a little shyer, or he was just avoiding all of the Caregivers on the Watchtower. They’d been a team for almost a year. If something was bothering Barry- he would’ve come to them like he usually did. So what was going on with him?

~~~

Bruce rolled over in his bed, pulling the covers up higher. He was wide awake- his head filled with thoughts of his teammate. Something was wrong with Barry but instead of coming and asking for help like he normally did, he was drowning in the problem.

Bruce had asked all the Caregivers if they had noticed it and even John and Arthur had. They all agreed that Barry must be upset and working through something on his own. Everyone wanted to give him space to figure it out on his own first but agreed that if Barry approached them for help that they’d offer it.

Hal’s arm reached around his waist and pulled him closer, his breath tickling the back of Bruce’s neck. “What are you thinking so hard about?” Hal asked groggily, snuggling up behind him.

“Nothing,” Bruce replied. He had no clue why something like this made him unable to sleep.

“Don’t lie to me,” Hal sighed as he sat up and looked at Bruce. “It’s about Barry, isn’t it?” Hal asked. “We all know something is going on. It bothers me that he hasn’t come to us like he normally does but maybe he needs to handle this on his own this time,” Hal said softly. 

“I don’t know, Hal,” Bruce admitted. “It doesn’t feel like it normally does when Barry is conflicted. Something about this has me going nuts,” He told Hal.

“Would you like to go talk with him about it?” Hal asked through a yawn. Bruce yawned in response. He was exhausted only having microsleeped once or twice in the past week. His mind was starting to go fuzzy enough that he might be able to get some sleep even with his emotions in conflict.

“In the morning,” Bruce nodded, pulling Hal to him as he laid back down on their soft bed. They had decided to sleep on the Watchtower together as Hal lived there most of the time and Bruce wasn’t needed in Gotham the next day as his schedule was clear. It was hard to find time to enjoy each other’s presence while both were so busy.

Hal was constantly going off-world for short periods of time and sometimes for lengthy away missions while Bruce ran a company and had many other things to go in Gotham. At the end of the day, they were really happy with each other and the small amounts of time they found to be like this were always worthwhile.

~~~

When Bruce woke up the next morning, he headed straight for Barry’s room. If he woke the kid up now, Barry would be more than willing to stay for breakfast and he and Hal could finally talk with him.

When the automatic doors wooshed open, Bruce found the room empty. Barry must have gotten up really early and headed back to Central City if he wasn’t sleeping in his room on the Watchtower. 

Bruce noticed that the bed had been torn apart and Barry’s sheets had been replaced with a red and yellow set. Barry must have made some personal customizations to the room Bruce gave him in the tower, Bruce thought as he left the room, doors closing behind him.

He let out a sigh, he’d have to talk with Barry some other time then. He went back to his rooms to wake Hal for breakfast, more than happy to make food for his lover. There weren’t very many mornings that were like this and Bruce wanted to cherish the ones they had.

~~~

Barry woke up early in the morning with wet sheets. He sighed as his eyes stung with unshed tears. He’d had another nightmare that left him with more ruined bedding. He got up and showered, then disposed of the ruined sheets.

He pulled his new bed set out of his closet. It was as good a time as any to use them, he supposed. He made the bed quickly but didn’t move to lay down after. He looked at the clock, then zoomed from the room. At this point in the morning, he should really be headed down to Central. There was no point in going back to sleep when he was going to get up in an hour to go to work.


	2. Best Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Hal need to figure out what is going on with Barry. When Bruce can't get close enough, it's time for Hal to step up. After all, Hal is Barry's best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

Bruce sat at the table with his plate of eggs, letting out a sigh as he brought his fork to his mouth. Hal immediately noticed Bruce’s sour mood and set about figuring out what exactly was wrong. 

“What has you sighing so early in the morning, love?” Hal asked, taking a bite of his food. Bruce merely looked at Hal, providing the perceptive man with his answer. “Barry, then. Did he leave this morning?”

“Long before I got up by the looks of it,” Bruce confirmed. “I’m going to try to talk with him later this week but if I don’t succeed, would you try talking with him? You two are best friends,” Bruce asked his lover.

“Sure,” Hal said. “I’ll talk to him if he doesn’t tell you what’s going on. I wanna help him just as much as you do.” Hal assured Bruce. “He’s my best friend, I hate to see him struggle.” Bruce nodded and they finished both of their meals in comfortable silence.

~~~

A week past and Bruce had tried. He did. No matter how much he tried to get Barry to talk, or to put time aside so he could try to see what was wrong, Barry always dodged him. Bruce wasn’t able to get within ten feet of Barry before the kid zoomed off. 

It was time to call in Hal. Barry, as strong-willed, stubborn, and rash as he was, wasn’t able to say no to Hal. He wouldn’t stand a chance if Hal asked him to sit down and talk. Barry would do it, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to worm his way out of telling Hal what was truly going on.

Bruce had faith, though. He truly hoped that Hal could pull the truth from Barry before the kid drowned in whatever he was trying to swim through on his own.

~~~

CENTRAL CITY- STAR LABS

Barry zoomed into the cortex and let out a sigh, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. He’d just stopped a heist led by Cold and his Rogues. It was exhausting fighting that group only to have them get away nearly every time. 

When he opened his eyes, it was to Hal standing in the cortex with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. Cait and Cisco were sitting at the computers with silent awkward expressions on their faces.

After a moment, Cait got up to check over Barry as she did after every mission he went out on. Hal followed along into the med bay, watching as Barry peeled his cowl Back so Cait could do her work. “Wanna tell me what you’re doing here, Hal?” Barry asked politely, closing his eyes as Cait cleaned his rapidly healing cuts.

“We’re going to go to your place and talk,” Hal said with finality. “After Cait is done with her check-up,”

Barry just sighed, giving a half-hearted nod as he sat on the cot, waiting for Cait to finish.

BARRY’S LOFT

Barry unlocked the door and walked in, leaving it open so Hal could follow. Hal closed the door gently as Barry began to speak. “Can I get you a drink?” Barry asked, walking into the kitchen to get one of his own. 

“I’m fine, thanks,” Hal said, making himself at home on Barry’s couch and waiting for the young man to join him in the living area. Barry came in a few minutes later with a plate of snacks and a glass of milk in his hand. 

He took a few minutes to devour some of the sandwiches, offering some to Hal before he went in on them by himself. Once Barry was a couple of sandwiches in, he slowed down to a more normal pace and looked to Hal.

Hal had been patient while Barry had gotten his strength and energy back up. “Now, what do you want to talk about?” Barry asked as he picked up another sandwich, not even looking to Hal.

“You tell me,” Hal said calmly. “Something’s going on with you,” Hal said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “Bruce tried to talk with you but you won’t let him get close so now you have to deal with me. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Barry assured quietly.

“Don’t.” Hal insisted. “Don’t lie to me,” 

“I’m not!” Barry assured. Hal just looked at him and Barry shrunk back a bit. “I’m fine,”

“Clearly,” Hal said sarcastically, taking a moment to think of another approach. “Barry, I’m your best friend,” he started. “You’ve come to the League for help before, and to Bruce and myself when you needed help with more private matters. Why can’t you now? Everyone’s worried…”

“If I could come to you with this, I would. But I can’t,” Barry assured. “Look, I’m tired. I’ve had a long day and I’m going to shower and then sleep. It was good seeing you, Hal. You know your way out,” Barry dismissed, zooming up the stairs to the upper floor of the loft.

Hal heard the shower start and then got up, taking a sandwich that was left on the plate before walking to the door. He let out a sigh, took a bite of his sandwich and left the loft. As he walked down the hallway and out of Barry’s apartment building, he let his mind wander.

If he couldn’t get Barry to talk, they were going to have a hard time getting through to him this time. Barry seemed adamant about handling it alone… maybe, just this once, they should wait and see where it goes. If Barry truly needed help, he knew where to find it.

They couldn’t force Barry to ask for help, the man was more than capable of handling himself. It was weird that Barry decided to do things all on his own all of the sudden but if this is hat he wanted to do, none of them could stop him. 

Hal and Bruce were going to watch over him to make sure everything was okay, though. Hal was sure that Bruce was going to start hacking into the STAR Labs cams more often and Hal was going to be making constant trips to Central to see his best friend. 

They were going to make sure the boy was okay, even if he wanted to handle whatever he was facing on his own this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	3. Space

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry is putting space between himself and everyone else. Hal and Bruce aren't quite sure where they stand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

It’s been a few weeks and all the Leaguers noticed how Barry drifted further and further away. They were relying on Bruce and Hal to talk some sense into the kid. Unfortunately, Barry was still distant- even with them.

Bruce and Hal were the closest ones to Barry and if they couldn’t reach out- they weren’t sure if anyone could. Bruce had cornered Barry on the Watchtower many times but he’d easily sped away. Hal had been to Central and in Barry’s home and he was still able to avoid the topic. 

The kid was not making it easy, that was certain.

As the weeks went by, the distance grew and grew. Barry got further and further away. Hal and Bruce got more and more worried. Something was definitely wrong. Maybe it was time to tag-team.

~~~

Bruce and Hal decided it was time to talk. Really talk. They waited inside Barry’s apartment for him to come home from work and his patrols. It was really the only way they thought that they could possibly get Barry to actually speak with them.

Barry stumbled into his apartment not long after they arrived and didn’t seem very surprised that he had company. Barry just looked at them tiredly. When Bruce got a closer look, Barry was pale and thin. 

“Barry, what’s going on?” Bruce asked quietly.

“Nothing,” He said quietly. “It’s been a long day. I’m going to bed,” Barry said as he tried to head up the stairs. Hal grabbed his shoulder gently, like stopping him might just make him blow up. Hal was a little right. Barry merely shrugged him off and walked up the stairs silently. 

They stood there just looking at each other for a while. Bruce walked his way up the stairs and looked in Barry’s room. Barry was sprawled out over his bed. He hadn’t even gotten under the covers but he was already dead asleep.

Bruce walked in and upon seeing a fuzzy blanket thrown over a chair in the corner of the room he grabbed it, covering Barry up with a sigh. He walked from the room as Hal watched, worried eyes centered on the speedster.

~~~

Hal and Bruce were back in their room on the Watchtower but unable to sleep. Soon enough Bruce let out a grumble and got out of bed to head to the kitchens. “Coffee?” He asked before leaving.

“Yeah,” Hal said as he slowly got out of bed. They clearly weren’t getting sleep tonight, might as well get up and do something. He followed Bruce’s path to the kitchens and grabbed the cup of coffee with a small thank you to Bruce.

After their first mug, Bruce made his way to the main computers on the Watchtower, puling up files and getting to work. Hal once again followed, “What are you working on?” Hal asked as he leaned against the main console.

“Plenty of things,” Bruce answered. “I’ve been finalizing things for Wayne Tech while up here, I’ve got analysis’ running for cases Batman is investigating in Gotham and I’ve got files here on what Barry’s been up to lately,”

Hal looked to the computers, studying everything intently. He had his ring to do all the work so seeing it on a computer made him realize just how much work everyone else had to put in to get the job done. Even Barry did things like this at his job at CCPD.

“What’s Barry been up to then?” Hal asked once he saw the files on Barry open up.

“He’s had plenty to do these past couple weeks. There’s been plenty of cases for him and the CCPD that he’s got to be exhausted with all the extra hours he’s putting in to get all the evidence processed and filed. That’s without his intervention in at least five different heists pulled by Cold and the Rogues and the dozens of meta attacks and regular patrols at night.” Bruce told him.

“Sounds like he hasn’t gotten much sleep,” Hal said as he looked through the files that Bruce was scrolling through.

“No sleep and no stress relief,” Bruce agreed. “We don’t know his Classification but he can’t be a Caregiver with a Little if he’s never home,” Bruce assured. “If he’s a Caregiver, he’s definitely feeling unfulfilled, if he’s a Neutral he’s still stressed beyond what he can handle.”

“We’ve got to do something,” Hal trailed off. “Does Captain Singh not see how much he’s piled onto Barry’s plate?” Hal asked. “I know for a fact that Singh is very fond of Barry even if he is always running late.”

“Maybe we should go have a chat with Singh then?” Bruce asked. 

“I can go, Singh knows me but if you show up people are going to wonder how Bruce Wayne knows Barry Allen. The Paparazzi go after you like crazy and that’s the last thing that Barry needs.”

“Good point,” Bruce conceded. “You go, make sure that Singh knows about what’s going on.” Hal nodded and headed straight for the teleporters. This couldn’t wait, especially with how Barry looked last night. 

Hal only hoped that Barry didn’t see him with Singh and throw a fit about Hal minding his business. Barry was his business and he’d do anything to make sure Barry was alright. The kid may want space, but it was clear that it wasn’t what he truly needed.

~~~

CENTRAL CITY- POLICE DEPARTMENT

Hal walked into the precinct and headed straight toward Singh’s office. He waved hello to the officers he knew, smiling at them as he made his way to the Captian’s office. Once he was at the door, which was opened a crack, he knocked gently and peeked his head into the office.

“Captain Singh?” Hal asked, “May I come in?”

“Hal, of course, come on in,” Singh said as he adjusted himself in his chair. “What can I do for you, Hal?” he asked as the man sat down in the chair across from him.

“I was wondering if you’ve noticed anything wrong with Barry lately,” Hal asked. “He’s been putting a lot of space between me and some other friends of his. I just happen to know that there’s been a spike in cases for him to analyze lately.”

“I’ve noticed a lot,” Singh admitted. “He seems like he’s getting sick,” Singh said. “He’s turned in the last of the evidence from the open cases so he’ll be on call only for at least the next two weeks, especially because of all the overtime he put in.”

“Has he spoken to you at all about what he could be going through? He refuses to talk to even me,” Hal asked.

“Unfortunately he has not,” Singh assured. “He looks horrible, though. I’m trusting that you can handle it.” Singh told Hal. How was he supposed to handle it? It’s not like he had any right to manhandle Barry into getting rest or taking medication or into telling him what was really going on.

Barry had put so much space between them that Hal didn’t know where he stood anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	4. Enough is Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal and Bruce have had enough distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a mild invasion of privacy on Hal's part but I thought it was kind of funny.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

It took one more week for Bruce and Hal to decide that it was time to get involved in whatever Barry was going through. Barry, as capable as he was, should ask for help if he was struggling this hard. They still had no clue what it was really about, either.

Bruce couldn’t seem to put anything together other than Barry was really overworked and clearly needed a break. He’d been off work and only on call for a week already and still wasn’t any better.

Hal kept an eye on Barry just as Bruce did, though with two completely different approaches. Bruce kept an eye on him from a distance, using tech and Hal had a more up-close and personal approach.

Hal was staying in Central at one of his Ferris Air condos so he could be there in case something happened. Bruce, the analytic that he was, tended to compile data and try to solve things like this with evidence and investigation.

To some degree that could be useful- they still had to figure out what was going on and they certainly wouldn’t be getting that information from Barry. But, on the other hand, Hal’s approach was going to be what really got Barry to open up.

Barry was an emotional kid, a heartfelt approach was going to be what really got to him. Hal and Bruce both made sure to confront Barry together- they figured both of them might finally make the kid crack.

Surprisingly, Barry held out. The kid was stubborn and prideful, that was certain. Each time they tried, they left angry and exasperated. The kid was a total disaster. His place was a mess and he never made time to rest.

Bruce was similar but when Alfred- a Neutral- got stubborn, Bruce had no choice to bend to his demands and do what was needed. Barry didn’t have anyone like that. Joe was his adoptive father, but Barry was an adult capable of making his own choices. Joe knew that his authority only went so far now that he was older.

With Barry’s speed, he was in and out so often that Bruce and Hal were having a hard time trying to get him in one place for a long period of time for a chat. Hal had joked about staying at Barry’s apartment until the kid just gave in.

Obviously, Barry was getting more and more agitated with their constant visits and wannabe talks. He ran out often and when he didn’t he sped up the stairs and went straight to sleep or got into a shower. He was very good at avoiding anything that he didn’t want to do.

They were at a loss and Hal was more than ready to move his things into Barry’s apartment when they got a call from Cait. She told them how Barry collapsed a few hours ago and as soon as he regained consciousness he had sped off.

They instantly headed to Barry’s apartment and weren’t shocked to see it empty. Barry must have gone out for some air. A run was his normal way of being able to slow down and truly think, Hal had told Bruce.

They sat to wait for the speedster to return, quietly relaxing in the comfort of Barry’s livingroom.

~~~ 

It took two hours but Barry finally walked into his apartment with an exhausted huff. When he looked around after flicking the light on he let out a whine. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” He huffed. “Is this your new hobby? Waiting for me to come home to talk about things that aren’t your business?” Barry’s agitation was clear.

Bruce and Hal stood, ready to try again and again until Barry finally got it through his head that they weren’t going anywhere if he needed help. “It is our business,” Hal assured Barry softly. “We’re worried about you,”

“You’re getting weaker, Cait’s showed me your medical files. The Speedforce’s presence in your body is slowly draining away and has been for months. It has something to do with your declining health but nobody knows why you’re getting so sick. Why won’t you tell us what’s going on?” Bruce asked.

“I appreciate what you guys are doing and I’m both sad and relieved that you’re worried about me but I can handle this on my own,” Barry assured in a soft voice. 

“Why are you lying?” Hal asked, moving forward to give Barry a hug. Barry stiffened and did nothing in return. Barry was a snuggle bug- he was always willing to give and receive hugs. Hal retreated as Bruce moved to stand behind Barry. “We want to help,” Hal pleaded. “You’re my best friend. I won’t stop until you let me help you. Let us help you.”

“Again, I appreciate that you want to help, but I can handle this. I’ve done it before and I can do it again,” Barry assured, trying to pull away.

“Done what before? What are you trying to handle?” Bruce asked with a little force. It was enough to make Barry react. He startled, then Bruce could see it as his face turned stormy.

“It’s none of your business! I can take care of myself! I can handle it!” Barry yelled finally, still trying to move away from Hal and Bruce. His patience had finally run out. 

“Barry! What’s gotten into you? Why are you being so dist-” Hal cut himself off when he heard Barry yelp in surprise- turning to Bruce with wide eyes. It took Hal a moment to realize that Bruce had landed a sharp swat on Barry’s butt.

Without realizing, Bruce’s Caregiver instincts had been kicked into overdrive and he’d given Barry one sharp spank. Once his instincts settled and he’d realized what he’d done, he wasn’t sure what to say.

Hal and Bruce just watched as Barry stood there- eyes wide and shock written across his features. His face twisted in emotion like he wasn’t quite sure just what happened. Hal and Bruce glanced at each other before looking back at Barry.

They weren’t sure exactly what to expect as they looked to the emotion-driven speedster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	5. Tantrums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry reacts in a way that Hal and Bruce wouldn't have expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask because I have absolutely no answers for you. It just happened, mkay?!?!
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Hal and Bruce just watched as Barry stood there- eyes wide and face one of shock. His nose scrunched and they could see the emotions swirling on his face. They glanced at each other and then back to Barry. 

“There’s no need to yell, young man. You don’t yell at people, especially when they are trying to help,” Bruce said finally. He was already in Caregiver mode- might as well see how Barry responded to it. 

Hal just looked back and forth between the distraught speedster and his angered boyfriend, unsure of what to do. He knew Bruce had been triggered into Caregiver mode- the tone in his voice and the way he was acting made it obvious. It was similar to how he’d seen Bruce interact with Dick and Tim before. 

Barry, however, reacted in a way neither of them expected. They figured after the shock wore off he’d tell them off and make them leave but instead, Barry turned to Hal with teary eyes before they finally slipped down his cheeks. 

Barry was holding his arms up to Hal and wailing before either of the men knew it. When Hal didn’t react- Barry’s crying got worse and he stepped closer- half jumping from foot to foot with his want to be picked up. Bruce nudged Hal with his elbow and gave him a look and that told Hal to just roll with it. 

He scooped the speedster up, placing him on his hip as Barry hid his face. Hal went along with it, soothing the distraught speedster even though he wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. He looked to Bruce who merely urged him to keep going, clearly, a result like this wasn’t the biggest shock.

Hal filed that away, knowing it was something he was going to bring up later. For now, he focused solely on the Little in his hands. Yes, he was certain that Barry was a Little. There was no other way to explain his behavior- now or in the past.

Barry had avoided all the Caregivers- mainly Caregivers- on the Watchtower and now here he was, sobbing as he clung to Hal. There were so many questions to answer and in time they’d get them but for now, Barry needed someone who could just take care of him- no judgments- just love and care.

Within minutes, Hal had Barry asleep as he wandered through the apartment, cooing into his ear in hopes that he’d fall deeper into sleep. Bruce had taken a spot back on the couch as he simply watched Hal pace the room- like he was sure that Hal was the perfect person to handle this- handle Barry.

Once Hal was sure that Barry would be out for a while, he settled the boy on the couch. “What are we going to do?” Hal asked, turning to Bruce.

“I’ve got a duffel hidden with the necessary supplies. We can handle anything he throws at us until he surfaces from headspace,” Bruce told Hal.

“I’m not even going to question how you were that prepared but how’d you know that Barry was a Little?” Hal asked him.

“Oh, I didn’t. I respected Barry’s choice to have his Classification unconfirmed between his friends and family. But once I realized that it was Barry that was constantly setting off my Caregiver instincts and knowing that he never confirmed his Classification, it made me realize that it was a possibility. I never said anything in case I was wrong,” Bruce explained.

Hal nodded. He had no problem with how Bruce was- secretive and constantly suspicious. Bruce couldn’t change such a fundamental nature but he also always filled Hal in when he knew it was important. He never jeopardized anything important.

“Where do we start then?” Hal asked. Bruce always had a master plan. He planned and prepared for virtually anything, no way he didn’t make a plan for something like this.

“The first step- after he finishes his nap, that is- to figure out his age range,” Bruce said with a small nod in Barry’s direction. “Though we could call his family and Captain now and let them know what’s going on. They’ll need to know and Cait will want to run tests.”

At the mention of Cait, Hal paused. “She didn’t have his Classification in her files?” Hal asked. She’d known Barry or years and has been his primary doctor since the accelerator explosion- she had to have known something.

“No,” Bruce responded sadly. “She didn’t have it in her files and Barry didn’t make it easy for them to find his Classification records. He made sure there were only a few paper copies and keeps them stashed away where nobody can find them,”

“Jeez,” Hal breathed out. “Why go to such lengths to hide something like this?”

“There could be many reasons. We’ll just have to ask when he’s Big again.” Bruce assured. 

Hal let out a sigh. They really didn’t have much choice. Barry had put them in this position and now that he wasn’t big enough to decide things on his own- not that he had been making the healthiest decisions in the first place. Hal and Bruce would be in charge of his care until he could surface from headspace.

~~~

Hal and Bruce were having a fun time trying to get Little Barry to cooperate with them. Even in headspace, Barry was resistant to anything they tried, even if they knew it’s what he wanted deep down. 

Barry had woken up from his nap with piss soaked jeans and had been in a mood since. It was hard enough getting him out of his clothes let alone in a bath. Barry had calmed a bit during the bath but his anger renewed when Bruce tried to put him in a diaper. 

Obviously, Bruce had finally managed to get him in one but Barry had run around the apartment stark naked before he let that happen. He’d also pulled the tabs of the diapers open multiple times before Bruce was able to get a onesie on over it to keep him from doing it again.

While Bruce had stoically dealt with the bath, Hal had focused on making food. With the accident, they were already more aware of his age-range. Hal pulled a bottle from the duffel. Barry wasn’t going to like this but Hal didn’t really have a choice. He wasn’t going to let Barry spill his drink everywhere and make a mess that could be easily avoided.

Bruce walked out with Barry squirming on his hip and whining angrily, trying to worm his way out of Bruce’s arms. Bruce acted as though he didn’t even notice which made Barry even angrier. Bruce sat at the table, Barry in his lap.

Hal brought the food over, with a bottle ready for Barry. Barry whined the whole time they ate, trying to dodge any of the food they offered him. Fortunately, as a speedster, Barry was less likely to refuse food for long because of his metabolism. It took maybe five minutes for him to give in to the temptation of food.

Barry glared at them with every bite they fed him but ate anyway. His bottle went untouched until the table was cleared and Bruce grabbed it, handing both Barry and the bottle off to Hal. He gestured for Hal to try giving it to Barry and he let out a sigh.

This wasn’t going to go well, Hal could feel it.

~~~

Hal had been right- trying to give Barry the bottle had been a big mistake. It took a mere five minutes for Barry’s face to flush red with anger and push Hal’s hand hard enough for the bottle to go flying. The bottle spilled all over the floor and Barry was wailing his frustration.

Hal had put Barry in the corner to sit and calm down, telling him firmly not to move from his spot which resulted in the cranky Little angrily kicking the wall as he laid on the floor and screamed his head off. 

It took over an hour for Barry to stop kicking the wall and his yelling to turn into distressed sobs. Once they were sure that he’d exhausted himself, they approached. When they looked a the Little boy on the floor they gave him weak smiles. 

Barry laid on the floor, his feet still against the wall. His face was red and tear tracks were still visible on his cheeks. He looked back at them through half-lidded, red, teary eyes. He sniffled, too tired to really do much of anything else.

That was one hell of a tantrum and both Bruce and Hal were sure it wasn’t going to be the last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	6. Difficult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Hal are having a hard time with their little boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

Over the next few days, Hal and Bruce had a hell of a time getting Barry to cooperate with anything they tried to do. Had to give him a bath? He screamed his head off. Have to change him? All hell broke loose. Nap? An hour tantrum that had Barry kicking the wall in the corner before falling asleep anyway.

Barry was too far off the rails for them to even bring him to the Labs for Cait to check him over. Even try to get him ready to leave the apartment and he ran for cover, screaming at the top of his little lungs. Through all the difficulty there were a few moments that made looking after him worth it.

There were a few times that Barry woke up from a nap calmly- he’d just snuggle into Hal or Bruce until he fully woke before demanding to be put down and left alone. When he was drowsy, he got clingy. Most of the time, right before he fell asleep Barry was so sweet and cuddly that Bruce and Hal couldn’t stand it.

Cait, of course, had wanted to check Barry over as soon as they had been informed of his Classification but Hal and Bruce had to tell her they were unable to bring Barry to the Labs. She had understood that Barry’s behavior would make it hard for them to bring him in but if they hadn’t gotten his mood and actions under control within a few days to bring him in any way.

Hal and Bruce had agreed and today was the day they’d have to bring Barry in even if his mood swings were still uncontrollable. Barry screamed his head off as they got him ready, squirming and trying anything possible to get out of it. Bruce and Hal, as much as they hated hearing him distressed, were more concerned with getting him into STAR to make sure he was alright.

Once they were ready, Hal flew them to the Labs. Bruce couldn’t call a car or really go anywhere without being swarmed by the paparazzi, Hal was actually surprised that he’d kept where he was a secret so far. Then again, Bruce was Batman so sneaking about was a skill of his.

The flight over to the Labs was surprisingly quiet as Barry was more amazed at the construct taking them to their destination than the fact that they had left his apartment. Hal had chuckled as he adjusted the squirmy baby on his hip, entertaining the boy with a couple of constructs as they flew through the air.

Once they had made it to STAR safely, Barry had once again resumed his angered and irritable squirming and crying. Walking into the cortex brought both Cait and Cisco’s attention. Hal and Bruce had made sure that the rest of Barry’s family wasn’t around while they were at the Labs and asked them to stay at a distance until Barry’s unusual behavior was fixed.

Fortunately, Joe agreed that staying away so that Hal and Bruce could figure things out with the confused Little was for the best and had made sure that Iris also maintained her distance. The West family was really busy so it wasn’t surprising that they hadn’t been able to find time to stop by anyway.

Singh had given Barry off until further notice, too. Hal and Bruce were grateful that Singh was so understanding. Hal had taken time off work, not that there was much for him to do at Farris Air at the moment anyway. Bruce was doing work for Wayne Industries and had the rest of his team in Gotham like Batgirl and Nightwing to cover for Batman’s absence.

Cait gave them a worried smile as she got up to lead them into the med bay and start on Barry’s check-up. Hal sat on the gurney with Barry in his lap, squirming and screaming, face red and tears streaming down his face.

Cait ran all her tests and drew blood which had Barry letting out a blood-curdling scream of fear and pain. She did all she could to shush him and soothe the boy but nothing worked. Hal had looked at her which seemed to have Cait understanding just what was going on with his behavior.

Once the tests were done, Hal took Barry back out into the cortex and finally put him on the floor when his squirming increased. Batty’s tantrum had only started and soon enough he was kicking at the wall as he laid on the floor, sobbing sadly as Bruce, Cisco, Cait, and Hal all spoke about the Little boy.

“So this has been his constant behavior over the past few days?” Cait asked for clarification.

“Yes, for the most part. There are times that he seems at peace, relaxed, and happy but most of the time anything we do causes this kind of reaction.” Hal responded.

“I’m going to go check on him,” Bruce told the group. He’d been eyeing the boy for a while, waiting for him to calm down enough to approach but also adding what he could to the conversation going on in the group.

They all nodded at him and he made his way over to where Barry laid on the cortex floor. Barry looked utterly exhausted as his eyes found Bruce’s. He gave the boy a little smile, hoping to put him at ease. Barry let out another sob and lifted his arms up.

Bruce lifted him easily, making sure to check the kid’s diaper as he settled the boy on his hip. Of course, he needed a change- Bruce winced. That wasn’t going to be fun, he thought as he grabbed the duffle of supplies and went into the med lab.

Barry was surprisingly cooperative when Bruce moved to get him cleaned up. He didn’t flinch when the cold wipe was pressed against his warm skin nor when Bruce put a fresh diaper on him. It was strange for him to go through something so easily that it had Bruce wary.

He grabbed a bottle from the duffle as well, hoping that maybe he could get Barry to drink something while he was so calm. Walking through the cortex with such a quiet Little had each of the others knowing just what his plan was. Hal gave him a nod, knowing that Barry was hungry by now.

Hal continued to tell them what had happened over the past few days. Cait told him that the results of the blood tests and analysis’ would take a few days but she’d call as soon as the results were in.

~~~

Hal and Bruce walked back into Barry’s apartment with the sleeping speedster. It had surprised Hal that he had accepted a bottle around Cait and Cisco, let alone fall asleep while drinking it with others around. Hal made sure to tell then that his usual behavior was the opposite of what they had seen.

Barry was so deeply asleep when they got back to the apartment that Hal was able to lay him down in the playpen that Bruce had shipped to the apartment the day prior. He’d be awake soon, no doubt and then they’d have to deal with the fit that Barry would throw when they tried to put him in the newly acquired high chair for dinner. Barry was a difficult Little but everything about them was pulling them in. They were unable to leave the stubborn little boy that they had found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon!


	7. Results

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry gets taken to the Lab to talk about his test results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! :)

Not even two full days later, Hal got a call from Cisco and Cait, calling them all to the Labs. The results of Barry’s tests were in and she wanted to discuss them in person. Barry was still Little and clearly wasn’t going to be Big again anytime soon.

The past few days had been hard, and they weren’t getting any easier. Hal would have to fill Cait in on Barry’s Behavior when they got to the Labs. He wasn’t excited to get the Little ready to leave- Barry had been at his worst today.

Barry ended up kicking at Hal, hitting him in the shin before Bruce finally had enough. He grabbed Barry by his arm gently, turned him and gave him a sharp swat to his padded bum. Barry reacted predictably, pausing as the events settled in his mind before letting out distressed sobs.

Bruce marched him over to the corner and placed him there, “Ten minutes,” was all he said as Hal just watched with sad eyes. Barry wailed the entire time, they had expected it but Bruce just continued to pack the duffle bag like Barry wasn’t even there. Hal wasn’t sure how he did it.

Barry’s crying- especially when it was out of confusion and sadness or even from being scared always tore at Hal’s heartstrings. Bruce was a little bit more firm, and obviously, that’s what Barry needed sometimes but Hal was a softie. He couldn’t understand how Bruce could do it.

Once the ten minutes were up, Hal walked over and picked Barry up. Barry just continued to cry- he hadn’t even acknowledged Hal picking him up- nor when he’d walked over. Barry radiated anger and confusion as Hal carried him to the bedroom to get him changed and dressed for the Labs.

Once he had the speedster ready, they left the apartment for STAR.

~~~

“How’s his behavior been?” Cait asked as soon as Hal put the boy on the ground in the playpen. Cisco had gone and pulled one from storage when they had all sorts of employees. Wells had been adamant that they kept at least one, and he was kind of glad they had.

Barry was still angry, though not crying anymore. He took it upon himself to kick at the playpen after flopping over unhappily. Hal just placed a few toys into the playpen and turned to have the much-needed conversation with Cait.

“Don’t even get me started. He’s not changed a bit. Today has been the worst day so far, I think,” Hal admitted.

“You should’ve seen the anger rolling off him as he tried to get out of the high chair when we tried to put him in it for the first time. It’s the same fit every time we try to settle him in it to eat,” Bruce told them.

“His anger seems to be getting worse,” Hal said as he glanced at the miserable boy lying on the floor.

Cait let out a sigh, “His tests show that while his body is slowly getting stronger after being in headspace even only for a few days, his hormones seem to be fluctuating. I think he might be going through some bipolar episodes and depression now that he’s being forced to deal with his Classification.” Cait started.

“It makes sense that he’d have a breakdown like this after so long of not being Little. Even now we aren’t sure how long he’s gone without it,” Cisco added. Cait nodded before continuing.

“I suggest that you guys try to speak with him about what he’s feeling. Maybe get him a therapist that specializes in Littles with these types of problems if he doesn’t get better. However, Barry is a private person so I’d use that as a last resort if you can’t get through to him on your own. Having a therapist might just set him off more,” Cait told them.

“You’d trust us with his mental state?” Bruce asked curiously.

“Barry trusts you two more than anyone else I’ve seen. If anyone can actually get him to talk about how he’s feeling, it’s you two,” Cisco assured.

“Be firm with him. Make sure he knows certain behavior isn’t okay but make sure he knows that you love him no matter how he acts. I’ve noticed that Bruce’s methods are more of the hard decisions Barry needs when he gets into a really bad state and that Hal, you tend to be more comforting. It’s good that he’s getting both but make sure you both adjust and get used to offering both a firm and guiding hand and comforting love and understanding,” Cait advised.

They nodded, turning to Barry who’d calmed a little, only pushing his foot against the playpen as he yawned. “Keep us updated on his behavior and keep a close eye on him. Try to talk with him when he gets angry and see why he acts the way he does,” Cait told them one last time.

Hal walked over as Bruce grabbed the duffle, looking to Barry before reaching down to lift him up. Barry yawned widely as Hal got him settled, resting his head against Hal’s shoulder, too tired to keep it up on his own.

Hal knew it was strange but didn’t bring attention to it as he didn’t want Barry to shy away and get embarrassed. Bruce escorted them out of the building and back to Barry’s apartment.

~~~

Once they walked through the door- Barry had been set off. He went from the peaceful sleepy boy that Hal and Bruce didn’t see often to the angry squirmy baby that they normally dealt with. Hal instantly headed to the playpen and put him down.

They’d decided that Barry hated the playpen days ago when it first showed up. The first time they’d put him in it he spent three hours screaming and demanding they let him out before settling with just kicking at it.

Right now, Barry was just staring at Hal with anger. Hal paid it no mind, knowing that it would make him angrier but needing to take a shower. He walked off, leaving Bruce to watch over the angered boy. “I’m getting a shower,” He announced. Bruce hummed his acknowledgment and then looked to his grumpy Little.

Barry wasn’t going anywhere in that playpen so Bruce headed to the kitchen. There was a half wall separating the kitchen and living room so Bruce could see Barry easily. Barry just watched him as he moved around the kitchen to prep a bottle obviously meant for him.

Barry kicked up a fuss once he realized what Bruce was doing and it only got worse when he approached with the bottle and a towel over his shoulder. His throat was starting to get scratchy and raw with how much he was crying- though it was healing fast, Barry couldn’t help but be agitated with the dull ache.

Bruce lifted him up even as he cried louder, sitting on the couch and placing Barry gently in his lap. When he offered the bottle up Barry tried to push it away angrily. Bruce waited for Barry to quiet down then spoke up, “Can you tell me why this makes you so upset?” he asked gently, shaking the bottle as a reference. Barry shook his head tiredly, closing his eyes and hoping that Bruce would just drop it and let him sleep.

If he ended up drinking from the bottle while dozing off- he wasn’t aware.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	8. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry is having a hard time as he remembers just why it is that he hated being Little so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me~ lol
> 
> Enjoy! :)

A few days had passed and Bruce nor Hal had made any progress in getting Barry to talk about why he was angry anytime he threw a tantrum. Barry hadn’t gotten any better but Bruce had quickly learned that distraction was a good way to get Barry to quit having a fit.

Bruce had put a Disney movie on one day while Barry was having a fit and Hal wasn’t around. He’d hoped that perhaps it would distract Barry or calm him with the music but he didn’t think that Barry would be so interested in the colors and music that he would only cry when they ended.

Bruce quickly put a list of movies together that he knew Barry would enjoy, all including music. It made sense after he thought about it- Barry’s mother had once said everything was better when put into song. Barry apparently had been attached to that way of thinking.

When Barry was Big, he was always listening to music. Hal and Bruce knew it was something that had soothed him and helped him relax- he wondered why they hadn’t thought of it before now.

Barry was practically glued to the TV when Hal walked into the apartment from his trip to the grocery store. “What’s got him so entertained?” Ha asked as he placed the bags on the counter and moved to put groceries away.

“I put on some Disney movies,” Bruce responded, helping Hal with their supplies. “He loves music and I figured that a movie would keep him quiet,” Bruce told him.

“Barry loves music. Always has. Something he had in common with his mother,” Hal stated as if Bruce didn’t already know. “I’m going to check on him, he might be hungry and he definitely needs a nap by now. Would you start on his bottle?”

Bruce nodded as Hal moved to pick the Little up. Dealing with Barry could be exasperating sometimes. Hal, however never got angry or upset with how Barry was acting. He only ever showed his concern.

Hal lifted Barry while he was distracted. Barry whined as he felt Hal move him, turning teary eyes to Hal. He received a smile that made his heart flutter- made him feel better. “Hey, buddy, what are those tears in your eyes for?” Hal asked softly as he placed Barry on his hip.

Hal’s voice was so soft and soothing that Barry let out a sob, not from anger but one of just pure sadness and confusion. He shrugged his reply as his crying picked up. He wasn’t sure what was wrong but he couldn’t stop crying either.

Hal seemed to know this and rubbed his back soothingly to help calm him. Soon enough he was merely sniffling, calm, and face dry of tears. He dozed for he wasn’t sure how long before he felt Hal adjust his hold and sit down on the couch.

He peeked an eye open and saw Hal with a bottle as he spoke to Bruce. He wasn’t paying attention to the conversation but his eyes were locked on the bottle as Hal shook it gently. Hal turned to look at him once he was ready to give the bottle to Barry and Barry let out an aggravated whine.

Hal just smiled at him. Barry was too tired to put up much of a fight right now and let Hal give him the bottle, drifting into a restless sleep.

~~~

Barry sat at the lunch table with a small group of people in the middle of the cafeteria. He set his tray down and zoned into the conversation that they were having. He was shy, hardly ever said anything but the group of kids didn’t seem to mind him hanging around and invited him to their conversations often.

“I’m just saying that Littles are freaky! I mean you got a childhood once! Who would want to be babied all the time? It’s not normal!” One of the kids at the table said. Barry remained quiet, surprised by the outburst and even more surprised to find all his friends nodding along except one. The girl only got up and left the table. Barry wasn’t sure what to do. 

He sat there as the conversation continued, too uncomfortable to say anything. These kids treated him well and obviously having your own opinion was fine but the way they were speaking about Littles just wasn’t right. He’d learned long ago, because of Tony Woodward, not to run his mouth. He stayed quiet and didn’t respond when someone tried to drag him into the conversation.

A FEW DAYS LATER

“When is your Classification test?” One of his closest friends asked.

“Tomorrow,” Barry replied. “Joe and Iris couldn’t come so I have to go on my own,”

“Want me to come with you?” He’d offered. “Before your test can be nervewracking, you know? It’s good to have someone with you,” 

“Sure,” Barry replied quietly. He had a feeling in his gut that something was going to go wrong tomorrow.

THE NEXT DAY

Barry walked into the Classification office with his friend, checked in, and sat to wait. “How are you feeling? I was pretty nervous before my test. I came out as a Neutral but I still remember just how it felt before that test…”

“Nervous,” Barry admitted. 

“Barry Allen,” The nurse called out as she stepped out of the door.

“That’s you, dude. Good luck, it’ll be fine,” Barry’s friend said as he pushed Barry gently toward the nurse.

“Thanks,” Barry replied as he stumbled after the nurse.

CLASSIFICATIONS EXAM ROOM

“I classify you as Little with the age range 0-2 years,” The doctor said. Barry’s hearing cut out after that. In his mind that one sentence just repeated over and over. He worried about what his friends would think once they found out. There’s no way he’d be able to hide it, after all.

The doctor handed him a blue folder with all the papers, information, and forms he needed and let him back out into the waiting room. When he walked out, his friend stood up with a smile and handed him the jacket he’d left on the chair.

They walked out of the office and down the sidewalk before he spoke up. “How’d it go?” He asked gently. Barry didn’t answer but he grasped his folder tighter. “Barry?” The kid looked at him. “I know it can be a lot to take in at first. You can tell me,” He assured.

“I’m a Little,” Barry whispered, looking at the ground.

“What?” The kid said, stopping in the middle of the walkway. “You’re kidding right?” He asked with a hint of anger.

Barry finally looked up at him, eyes uncertain.

“You can’t be a Little!” The kid said harshly. “What will Joe and Iris think when you tell them that you’re a Little? They’re going to be so embarrassed having a Little in the family! You know how much of a freak that makes you, right? Now you have to go and get a Caregiver to baby you for the rest of your life! Nobody’s going to want someone who’s so reliant on them! Nobody’s going to love a freak like you!” The kid bit out before stomping away, leaving Barry to stare at his blue folder as tears stung his eyes.

~~~

Barry snuck into his room through the window, closing it tight before finally turning and flopping onto his bed. He curled in on himself, the blue folder still in hand. He stared at it before throwing it off to the side.

After his appointment at the Classification office, he’d spent all day walking around Central City. He’d gone to the park, the waterfront and watched as everyone happily ran around on the playgrounds and spent time with their loved ones.

He’d snuck into the house well after Iris had gone to bed. He was thankful that Joe was working an overnight shift at the precinct otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to get in unnoticed. After lying on his bed for a while he sat up and grabbed his folder. 

He pulled a trunk out from under his bed that held a bunch of his old comics and a few old school projects that he’d kept. He grabbed the binder of old projects and opened it up, slipping the papers in the file folder into the mix of projects and written papers.

He shoved the binder deep into the trunk and locked it back up, pushing it under the bed. He had no intention of telling anyone the results of his test today. They couldn’t push him for the information and he wasn’t going to risk them turning out to be just like that group of people he’d once called his friends. 

Graduation was a few days away and he was more than capable of pulling the ‘focused on graduation’ card. Nobody was going to know. He wasn’t going to risk it. He laid back down on his bed- he missed his mom and dad a lot right now. He knew that his mom and dad would accept him no matter what. He just wished that others would do the same.

He loved Joe and Iris but he wasn’t going to risk losing thier love over something like this. He’d hide his Classification if it was the last thing he’d do.

~~~

Barry woke up from his nap with a start. No wonder he’d been feeling out of it today. That dream explained it- his anxiety was constantly off the charts and yet he couldn’t seem to come out of headspace. His eyes burned as his brain went into overdrive and he started hyperventilating.

He was lifted from the playmat instantly, Hal and Bruce’s worried voices being whispered into his ears as they tried to figure out what was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	9. What's Wrong?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry is having nightmares which put Hal and Bruce on high alert. After a few panic attacks, Joe and the Labs are brought into the picture to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno but enjoy! :)

Hal looked up when he noticed movement on the playmat. Barry had been sleeping fitfully his whole nap but the fidgeting was picking up. Suddenly, Barry popped up, breathing heavily as he looked around quickly.

Hal instantly got up, rushing over to the baby as he started to sob. Bruce rushed over as Hal lifted Barry from the mat, crowding into both of them and talking to Barry and Hal. “What’s wrong, baby boy?” Bruce whispered as Hal continued to whisper into Barry’s ear in a calming manner.

Barry just continued to cry, completely unaware of their questions. His ears felt clogged and everything sounded muddled and far away. His brain was fuzzy, overridden with panic and anxiety as old memories had finally pushed their way to the front of his mind.

“What could possibly have scared him this much?” Hal whispered to Bruce as he felt the Little slowly relax and calm down. Barry slowly stopped fidgeting and let out an exhausted huff against Hal’s neck.

“I’m not sure,” Bruce replied. “Hey, baby, can you tell us what scared you so much?” Bruce asked quietly into his ear. Barry was still inhaling hard gulps of air, hiccups interrupting his labored breathing.

“B-b-bad d-dream,” Barry was eventually able to stutter out. He wasn’t sure why he was willing to answer their questions now when he’d never once wished to do so before but he found himself putting in a real effort to answer the questions they were posing now.

Hal and Bruce made their way to the couch, settling Barry between them. Barry felt protected between the two solid presences of not only his teammates but Caregivers that cared for him. He hadn’t known that their presence could be so comforting.

“Can you be a little more specific, honey?” Hal asked as Barry leaned more into his side.

They waited a few moments in hopes that Barry would speak up but all the boy did was stare at his hands as he fiddled with his shirt. He appeared to be deep in thought though that didn’t mean he planned to share what he was thinking.

They waited but eventually, Barry started to squirm, clearly wanting out of the awkward situation. Hal let out a sigh and got up, taking Barry with him to place back into the playpen so he could go make dinner.

Bruce stayed put, putting on one of the Disney movies on the list. Once he deemed Barry occupied enough, for the time being, he got up and went to help Hal make something to eat. Barry was clearly entranced by the movie and Bruce smiled a little.

At least they found one thing the baby liked.

~~~

Barry woke up from yet another nightmare with a bit of a yelp before breaking down into tears. It had been the same thing for the past few days. Anytime they put Barry down for a nap or bed he’d wake up in tears.

They still hadn’t managed to get anything out of him. Hal had to wonder if it was because he was just too Little to actually explain what was happening. It could be simple like anything a normal kid would dream about or even something to do with his mom or any other bad experiences he might have had in his short lifetime.

Bruce let out a sigh as he kept pacing. He’d been the one to go to Barry and comfort him when he woke up for the third time. He and Hal seemed to silently agree on a rotation, Hal was still sleeping in bed having dealt with Barry’s last nightmare not even two hours ago.

Barry was nearly calm so Bruce moved to warm up a bottle. Hal had tried to give him one earlier but maybe this time he’d take it and relax some more. Once it was properly heated up, he moved to the couch and tried to coax Barry into drinking.

Barry whined a bit before finally settling down and drinking the milk. Bruce was sure it would help soothe his throat and hopefully having a full stomach would help lull him back to a comfortable sleep. He thought for a second before letting out another sigh- they’d have to tell Cait and Cisco about the nightmares and see what they say about it.

~~~

Barry was sitting in the playpen at STAR Labs while Bruce and Hal were having a conversation with Cait and Cisco. He’d overheard them say that Joe was going to be stopping by within the hour and as the time passed, he got more and more nervous.

The memories he’d tried so hard to forget, to bury, were making him anxious as he thought about what Joe and Iris would think of him now that his Classification was out. Barry was aware that Joe and Iris already knew and he remembered that they’d visited briefly but they hadn’t been around much since. He wondered if it was because they were ashamed of him.

The mere thought crossing his mind made him let out a sob. Hal turned immediately, moving to see what had gotten him unsettled. He hid his face as soon as he could, his fingers twisting into Hal’s t-shirt.

Joe walked in to see Barry fussing horribly not even five minutes later. His anxiety attack had reached its peak and Hal was trying everything he could to soothe it. Joe, having helped Barry through anxiety attacks before, moved to try and help.

He walked up to the computers and started playing Barry’s favorite songs, starting with Singing in the Rain. Next, he moved to the playmat and pulled Barry’s red fuzzy blanket from the heap of toys on the floor, walking back to Hal quickly and wrapping it around both of them.

Joe grabbed the duffle from the chair by the lab door and looked through it. He grabbed the pacifier, bottle, and formula from the bag and handed the pacifier to Hal as he moved to leave the cortex.

He came back minutes later with a warm bottle, noticing that Barry had calmed significantly. When Barry was a boy, he’d wrap himself up in that blanket as a way of feeling more secure during an attack. He’d sit next to him and let Barry lean into him as he calmed. 

Barry never actually talked about what set him off, and the few times he’d had nightmares that led to a similar result, he never opened up with those either. “Let me see him,” Joe said quietly, taking Barry and the blanket once Hal moved to pass him over.

Once Barry was settled against his chest, he wrapped the blanket tightly around both of them, handing the bottle off to Barry. If he wanted it, he’d drink it on his own, he was sure of it. From there, he walked around the cortex and repeated the same things he always said to Barry when he was a kid.

He assured that whatever it was he was going through, that he and everyone else who cared about him was going to be there every step of the way. He assured Barry that it wasn’t his fault- nothing that they’d learned about and done over the past few years after Barry got his powers was.

He made sure to tell Barry over and over that he was going to be okay. He told him how much everyone loved him, how much he and Iris loved him. “It’s okay, you’re a good boy, we love you. We’ve got you,” Joe assured. 

Barry’s crying slowed as he drank his bottle and slowly fell asleep in Joe’s shoulder. When Joe looked at Hal and Bruce, he got an immediate answer.

“We don’t know what’s wrong,” Bruce said quietly, his eyes radiating sadness. Joe sighed. They needed some clarity if Barry was ever going to get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	10. A Little Bit Of Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hal has to go to Oa which effects Barry pretty hard. Bruce brings him to Gotham and Wayne Industries as he deals with Barry and his behavior on his own for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barry gives minimal information which leads to a bit of charity for Bruce.

Joe and Iris were constantly stopping in when they could, Joe more than Iris. Barry had been having what Hal and Bruce had been told were anxiety attacks. After the attack at the labs, Joe was able to tell them what had Barry waking up but none of them knew why the attacks were getting worse or what was triggering them. 

They’d only gotten worse and most of them took place when Joe had called to tell them he’d be dropping in. Bruce didn’t miss this fact and had noted it. Could it be that something about Joe was setting off Barry’s anxiety attacks? Though it didn’t explain the others he had randomly, it would explain why Joe always seemed to walk in at the peak of an attack. 

Joe was always able to help an attack but for some reason, Bruce was sure Joe was a trigger for Barry. They needed to figure out why Joe was a trigger and see if they could fix it. Joe was his family, there’s no way Barry wouldn’t be able to live without seeing his foster father.

Currently, Barry was having one of his attacks, it was one of the worst they’ve seen. Hal was in the middle of wrapping Barry’s red blanket around Bruce who had the Little clinging tightly to his shirt. Suddenly, Hal’s ring started beeping, the light flashing from the center.

“Shit,” He breathed out. “The Guardians are summoning me back to Oa,” Hal said in a panic. “There’s no way- I can’t- I have to go,” Hal paced back and forth and then looked at Bruce and Barry. 

“Hal, go. I can handle Barry for a few days on my own. I think now’s a good time as any to take him to Gotham to see Alfred. I have to check on things at Wayne Industries in person, anyway.”

“Are you sure? We could go to Gotham together.” Hal assured. 

“Take your glow stick and go back to Oa. The Guardians only call you away when they absolutely need you. It’s probably just another one of those Senior Lantern meetings anyway.” Bruce assured, moving to calm Barry down as the baby cried.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Hal confirmed, flying out of the glass doors of the balcony.

As soon as Hal was out of the room, Barry’s cries kicked up significantly and his shaking intensified. Bruce’s pacing and whispers picked up to compensate but Barry didn’t seem to be hearing any of it.

~~~

Barry’s anxiety skyrocketed even higher as he heard Hal fly out of the loft. He hadn’t heard what made him leave because he had been crying so hard but it didn’t seem to matter because he instantly thought it was his fault.

He didn’t mean to be a burden, he hadn’t wanted to drive Hal away but he couldn’t control his anxiety attacks, no matter how much he wanted to. Now that Hal was gone, he missed the man’s calming and reassuring presence.

Bruce’s presence was different from Hal’s. Hal was soft and comforting, a calming reassuring presence. Bruce’s firm demeanor was a solid reliable presence, though not the best for comfort-seeking. Bruce’s solid presence allowed for the comfort of knowing that there was a reliable person to lean on when one was in trouble.

That in its own way was comforting but not really the type of comfort Barry needed at the moment. Hal’s presence allowed Barry to feel comfortable when he felt out of place, Hal’s soft reassurance made him feel loved and cared for even if it was only as friends. Now, Hal knowing his Classification and taking care of him, it felt different.

Hal made Barry feel like he was the most special boy on earth, and Bruce tried his hardest to spoil Barry the way that any parent would. Barry was given anything that Bruce thought he might want. The pair were the perfect Caregivers that any Little or child that they chose to look after could ever want. 

It just so happened that they chose the worst Little that they could. Barry couldn't be a Little. He couldn’t let Joe and Iris be disappointed in him. If he was Little, he couldn’t spend nearly enough time in the CCPD working or patroling as The Flash. 

Barry continued to cry as his thoughts consumed him, anxiety wafting off him in waves. 

~~~

Bruce stepped into his office with Barry on his hip, closing the door and setting Barry on the couch. He knelt down to help take Barry’s boots and winter gear off. Not only had it helped ward off the chill and snow for the speedster who easily got cold but the puffy jacket, hat and the fact that Barry hadn’t moved his face from Bruce’s shoulder kept the paparazzi from knowing who the Little Bruce was carrying into his corporate building actually was. 

Bruce wasn’t exactly ready to let the paparazzi get to Barry, especially seeming as the green hero wasn’t the best at keeping his identity a secret. Barry was shy and Bruce wasn’t technically his legal Caregiver so letting the media see his face was going to cause too much trouble for Barry right now.

Bruce moved to set up the playpen and placed Barry inside it along with a dozen toys, his blanket, and a pacifier. Barry still refused to even glance at the binkies that Hal and Bruce had bought but the few times that Barry’s anxiety attacks were too much for him to stomach his bottle, they had been able to coax him into sucking on the pacifiers for comfort.

Bruce made sure that Barry had plenty of screens to view from his place on the playmat and turned on one of Barry’s many favorite Disney movies for the baby to enjoy. He was completely occupied as Tangled began, the voice of the main character filling the room as a small yellow drop fell from the sky. 

Bruce turned his vision to his computers and paperwork, typing away as he glanced from his computer to the stack of papers. After he was finished with the computer, he moved to reread the papers. There were things he noted for editing which he had sent down via email and was waiting for the new versions to be sent up to him on paper for him to review and sign. 

He had people in and out of his office talking with him and having him sign documents. Barry’s playlist of movies continued but Bruce had upset him a few times when he had to change the baby. Of course, Barry was upset with the need for a diaper change, but as soon as he was back in front of the movie, he was completely fine.

Around lunch, Bruce let out a sigh and moved to get up and get himself and Barry something to eat. Just as he did, Barry cried out. An anxiety attack, Bruce knew as soon as Barry’s breathing changed. Bruce moved to handle it right away, but a scream came from Barry’s mouth as he got lifted from the playmat.

Bruce cringed at the high pitched wail but pulled Barry as close as possible as he grabbed Barry’s blanket. He wrapped the blanket around them both as he went through the normal motions of trying to calm Barry. “Shhh, that’s a good boy,” Bruce whispered.

“Good boy?” Barry asked quietly, voice watery. “But Little b-bad,” Barry continued before letting out another cry. Bruce filed that away, assuring Barry that he was a good little boy and that everyone he knew and cared about loved him just as much. 

Bruce needed to look into why Barry thought that way. He was going to figure out just what had this Little boy against being himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	11. Gotham

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce takes Barry to Gotham for a bit when Hal gets called away. There's still some bumps but Barry seems to be getting a little better...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been freakin' forever! I'm just not able to update as I want. There's writer's block and depression and quarantine. I had a guest for over a month and have a full-time summer semester and a part-time job right now. There's so much going on! I hope with all of that it'll motivate me to write for stress relief though.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Barry’s anxiety attack wasn’t coming to a close even as Bruce phoned Alfred to make some lunch back at the manor. Bruce was going to go home for the day to take care of Barry privately. He’d gotten more than enough work done to keep the board at bay for a while.

As soon as Bruce was off the phone with Alfred he set to getting Barry’s winter apparel back on. Barry fussed the whole time, still anxiety-ridden and not wanting to let Bruce go but as soon as Bruce had his own clothes on and everything packed and ready to go, Barry was clinging to Bruce once again.

Bruce made his way to his car once Alfred notified him of his arrival, strapping Barry into his car seat once both of them were safely behind the tinted windows. He was thankful that nobody could see through them and peer at Barry- the paparazzi were just awful when it came to Bruce Wayne and anyone he was caught with.

~~~

Barry refused to eat anything that Bruce put in front of him. He was sitting in Bruce’s lap as Bruce tried to feed him in between bites of his own lunch. Alfred was off prepping a bottle that Barry would be able to stomach easier. 

Bruce still tried fruitlessly to get Barry to at least munch on something solid but Barry took absolutely no interest. He just sat there with his face pressed into Bruce’s shoulder, turning further into it every time Bruce even moved to offer him something.

He was still sobbing and Bruce’s shoulder was soaked with his tears at this point. Alfred walked back into the dining room with the bottle Bruce had been waiting for and handed it straight to Bruce. “Shall I set up the playmat for young Mr. Allen to take a nap on, in your father’s study? I assume you’re going to continue the work you were doing earlier.” Alfred asked patiently as he watched Bruce pry Barry away from him and try to offer the little one the bottle.

“That would be great, thank you, Alfred.”

“My pleasure, Master Bruce,” Alfred replied before turning to proceed to the study. “If you’re unsuccessful at getting him to drink that, you could always try laying him down and trying it that way, Sir.”

“Thank you, Alfred,” Bruce said, a little startled.

Bruce peeled Barry away and showed him the bottle, getting a glare of confusion and a hint of anger mixed in. Barry turned away as soon as the bottle came near him, in no mood for eating. He just wanted to lean against Bruce and cry, especially now that Hal wasn’t around. 

Barry wasn’t sure why he craved to have Hal back, all he knows is that it wasn’t the same without both Bruce and Hal around. “Barry, can you drink this for me, please?” Barry heard Bruce ask. Before Barry could shake his head no, Bruce continued to talk. “You know, Hal would be really proud of you if you drank this,” Bruce tried to convince.

Bruce had noticed that Barry had been off since Hal had left for Oa and he knew that Big Barry always got anxious when Hal was away. He switched his tactic, hoping it would be more effective. Hal was always a good motivator for Barry, he just hoped it would be the same when Barry was in his Littlespace.

Barry’s face screwed up in thought, tears still streaming as he took in what Bruce said. He always loved making Hal proud. He always wanted to make sure his best friend had a reason to stay, a reason to keep on being his friend.

Barry gave a little nod and Bruce instantly acted, not giving Barry the chance to change his mind. Once the bottle was in his mouth, Barry drained it almost instantly. Soon enough, with the aid of a full stomach, Barry was snoozing against Bruce’s shoulder, cheek squished and mouth slightly open.

Bruce moved slowly to his father’s study so as not to wake the lightly snoozing speedster. He laid the boy down and covered him with his fuzzy blanket. He moved to the desk and instantly opened his computers and started to rummage through the piles of paperwork.

Barry slept peacefully for a while, stirring but always falling right back asleep. Bruce let out a sigh of relief each time Barry went back to sleep peacefully. He hadn’t gotten much sleep recently with all the nightmares.

Once Barry finally did wake, he sat up slowly, throwing his weight around so that he could actually sit. He rubbed at his eyes, then looked to Bruce, who noticed that his eyes were glazed, clearly still tired. Bruce just about melted, Barry was probably the most adorable thing.

Bruce sat there, both of them staring at each other until Bruce saw a flash go through the room. He looked over to Alfred who had a phone up and a crooked smirk on his face. While the first flash of light had drawn Bruce’s attention, Barry was still clearly out of it and Alfred was able to snap another picture of just Barry. 

“You’re sending me those photos,” Bruce said simply as he got up to pull Barry from the playmat. He checked and moved to change Barry while the kid was calm, hoping that he was tired enough to not cry.

“Indeed, Sir,” Alfred confirmed, typing away at his phone. A minute later, Bruce’s phone beeped letting him know that he’d received a picture message. When Bruce looked at the phone, one picture was of just Barry, the cutest tired expression across his face. The second one is the one that really caught his attention.

Alfred had gotten a good angle of Barry sitting on the playmat, not too far from Bruce. Bruce was sitting at the desk, staring right back at Barry, a soft, adoring look on his face. Hal would definitely be seeing these pictures. They were actually the first couple of pictures that they had of Barry in Littlespace.

With everything they were trying to figure out, pictures were the last thing on Bruce’s or Hal’s mind. They’d have to try getting more at some point though, Bruce thought. Once Barry was changed, thankfully without tears, Bruce moved to place Barry back on the playmat with a movie. 

He settled Barry and then moved back to his paperwork. Barry was fine for about ten minutes. He seemed to start getting fussy, but Bruce hadn’t noticed until Barry was absolutely livid. “Up!” He demanded. “Up, up!” He cried as he held his hands out. Bruce, worried, walked over and lifted him from the mat and settled Barry on his hip.

“What’s going on, buddy?” Bruce asked curiously, noticing how Barry instantly settled down after being picked up. Barry made himself comfortable as Bruce made his way back to his desk, placing Barry in his lap. “Alright, but I’ve still got some work to do,” Bruce said, putting Barry’s movie on one of his computer screens so the baby could watch while Bruce worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	12. A Little More Me(1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry seems to finally be adjusting as Hal finally makes his return to Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long :( I've missed writing and am seriously trying to find the time. I return to campus in September but I'm not sure how to feel about that... 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! :)

Bruce worked until he had nothing left to do. Barry had fallen asleep again not long after joining Bruce in his chair and Alfred had popped in a few times to check on things and bring Bruce some tea. 

Bruce logged out of his computers and put all his paperwork away before turning to Barry with a look of thought. After a moment he stood, taking Barry with his as he approached the grandfather clock along the wall. He tugged the pulley, opening the elevator to the Batcave and made his way down.

There were bats flying around as the elevator stopped onto the main floor of the Batcave. Bruce stepped out and made his way to the computers as everything powered on. Batwave was active and when an alert popped up Bruce watched as Nightwing handled a couple of basic thugs. He let out a smile, he knew he could count on his family.

That's where Alfred found him and Barry a half-hour later, looking angered and exasperated. He brought Bruce his food with a somewhat displeased look that Bruce ignored as always. He was in Batman mode as he watched alert after alert go off. He was antsy to get back out there even though he knew that Batgirl and Nightwing could cover everything.

Those facts didn’t placate him in the least, unfortunately. 

Bruce’s attention was instantly taken away from the screens as he felt Barry jolt awake. We watched as Barry looked around a bit before staring off into one direction of the Batcave. Bruce was about to ask what he was looking at when the alarm for the Batcave security went off. When the footage popped up, Bruce saw bright green lights flying through each of the camera frames. 

He instantly turned off the alarms and waited for Hal to fly in through the tunnels he used for his car. Within a few moments, Hal was flying up to the main level where Alfred, Bruce, and Barry stood. 

Alfred greeted Hal with a polite hello while Bruce asked if setting off the alarms was absolutely necessary. “Sorry, I didn’t wake him, did I?” Hal asked, turning to see if Barry wanted Hal to hold him. Barry all but launched himself into Hal’s arms.

“No, he woke up before the alarms went off. It was like he could sense you coming.” Bruce said, a little bewildered.

“Barry has always been like that,” Hal said a little distantly. “He always seemed to know when I got back into Earth’s atmosphere. I always went straight to greet him and the Labs gang after returning from a mission and he was always on the roof waiting for me and staring in whatever direction I was coming from. It’s a little scary,” Hal admitted as he squeezed Barry tight.

Barry seemed to soak in all of Hal’s attention, happy to finally have the Lantern back home. “I can see that,” Bruce said as he moved to suit up for the night. “ I suppose you’re ready for a meal and some sleep?” Bruce asked as he came back in his uniform. “I’m sure Alfred has something still warm from dinner. Maybe you could even get Barry down for the night after he eats his own dinner.” 

“Yeah, food and sleep sound great. I can see you’re just as anxious to return to work like I was. I’ll leave you to it and head up to the mansion to get food and settle in for the night. Tomorrow I’ll be taking Barry back to Central, he’s been gone for long enough.”

“I can join you if there aren’t any pressing investigations that Gordon needs Batman on.”

“Take your time, Bruce. You handled Barry for at least two weeks without break. I can handle him for a few days so you can stay here and do what you need to do.”

“Are you sure?” Bruce asked.

Hal kissed him on the cheek, “I got this, babe,” he replied easily, headed toward the elevator and stepping in with Alfred. As soon as they were out of sight, Bruce turned to the computer. Batwave activated with a new alarm almost instantly and Bruce smirked. Gotham was always criminally active. 

Bruce smirked as he looked over the Batwave. Seems like Gordon has a new case for him, the Bat-signal shining in the cloudy Gotham night. He ran for the Batmobile, leaping in as it opened and instantly powering it up. He revved the engine a bit before taking off in the direction of the GCPD. It was bound to be a long night…

~~~

Hal cracked his eyes open when he felt movement on the bed next to him. His blurry vision revealed Bruce crawling into bed next to him and Hal flopped his head back down on the pillow. He let out a sigh as Bruce slid right up behind him with a sigh of his own. He fell back asleep almost instantly, basking in his lover’s presence.

~~~

When Hal woke up it was to Bruce’s quiet snores and Barry whining over the baby monitor. Hal stood as the blurriness of sleep finally left his vision and instantly left the room, headed for Barry’s room one door down the hallway.

Barry was sitting in his crib with his hand in his mouth, whining sadly, tears in his eyes. Hal melted at the sight and moved to lift Barry from his bed. Barry came more than willingly, clinging to Hal as he broke down and sobbed.

Hal moved to take care of Barry swiftly and had him settled in a matter of minutes, happily humming a calming tune. He felt Barry sigh contentedly, his warm breath against his neck. Hal walked from the room back into Bruce’s room and settled on the bed, pulling Barry into a sitting position on his lap.

Barry sat there grasping at Hal’s shirt for a few moments before finally noticing Bruce’s presence in the room as the man turned over onto his stomach. He was still sleeping soundly as Barry stared at his mostly covered face. Not a moment later he reached a hand out and gripped Bruce’s short hair tightly. 

Hal snorted with a smirk as Bruce jerked awake, eyes instantly alert as he slowly lifted his head from where it rested on his arms, revealing the rest of his confused and sleepy face. His brain only took a few seconds to connect the dots as he smiled at Barry, grabbing gently onto the Little’s hand and removing it from his hair.

Barry just giggled as Bruce briefly played with his fingers and tickled his palm. Hal and Bruce just smiled at the calm playfulness of the Little in front of them. They enjoyed the light laughter as Bruce moved to tickle Barry’s sides as the Little rolled around happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	13. A Little More Me(2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry sees his family in Central and is alright for a few minutes until his anxiety kicks up and he starts to fuss. Bruce is on an apparent manhunt for Leonard and Hal is going to do something because Barry can't. Or can he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part two- though honestly, it goes off on a tangent. oh well lol. Plot illudes me sometimes.
> 
> LOL Enjoy! :)

After Hal, Bruce, and Barry finally managed to get out of bed over an hour later, Alfred had them eating a nice breakfast. Barry was sitting in Hal’s lap who sat off to Bruce’s left as Bruce occupied the end of the table.

Barry was happily accepting anything Hal offered to him, clutching desperately to Hal’s shirt once again. Bruce looked on with a smile and even offered Barry some food himself which the boy accepted happily.

“So how was petrol last night?” Hal asked as he finished wiping Barry’s face of crumbs. He wasn’t completely clean yet but that was fine because Hal moved to feed Barry his bottle. Barry settled in easily to drink, closing his eyes in bliss.

“Gordon has a case for me to work and from the evidence, I’ve collected and gone through is going to lead me to Central City,” Bruce replied as he took another bite of his breakfast.

“Why Central?”

“Gordon suspects that a few metas from Central City were involved with a robbery that happened a few nights ago at the museum.” 

“Which metas? Do you know?”

Bruce pulled a burner phone out with a folder of photos of the crime scene. “Nightwing wasn’t able to stop whoever was there but they left scorch marks from fire as well as frost and ice along the walls. All of the video cameras were shut down during the robbery. A pro job.”

“Well, I can already tell you that those weren’t metas that robbed the museum,” Hal told Bruce as he scrolled through the photos and evidence. “This was Captain Cold and Heatwave.”

“Cold and Heatwave, huh?” Bruce mumbled as he continued to eat.

“Barry has a standing agreement with Cold, actually, now that I think about it.”

“An agreement?” Bruce questioned. “What would that be?”

“Barry isn’t to have Cold arrested as long as Cold doesn’t kill.”

“How’d that agreement come to be?” Bruce asked interestedly. “Criminals don’t normally make agreements like these.”

“Well, Cold isn’t a normal villain I suppose,” Hal admitted. “Barry actually works alongside Cold every now and again. When Barry was first out as the Flash, Cold came along and within a year was able to uncover Barry’s identity.”

“Cold knows?!?” Bruce paused, worried for his Little’s safety.

“Yes,” Hal said simply. “He knows just about everything I would suppose,” Hal admitted. “Anyway, Cold was able to uncover Barry’s identity and they made a bargain. Barry wanted Cold to stop, Cold refused, Cold also refused to leave Central when Barry asked. In the end, the deal was that as long as Cold didn’t kill anyone again, Barry wouldn’t turn him in to the police.”

“Huh…” Bruce mumbled, deep in thought.

“Cold also went on a journey with the Legends and saved the timestream not long ago. He died in the process…”

“How is he here if he died?” Bruce asked, looking to Barry and instantly knowing the answer.

“Barry pulled him from the timestream. He wasn’t willing to give up on the good he saw in Cold. It just so happened that the explosion that ‘killed’ Leonard didn’t actually kill him, it blew him into the timestream. From there, Barry was able to run into it and find him, eventually pulling him from his spot floating in the timestream. He must have just recently become active again,” Hal said as he slid the phone back to Bruce.

“Alright. Well, Barry may have a bargain with him, but I do not.” Bruce said sharply. “I won’t be going easy on him.”

With that sentence said, they heard Barry whine. When they looked at Barry, he was teary-eyed. Hal and Bruce both knew that what Bruce had said was what had upset the Little. “It’s alright, Barry. I’m sure that Bruce is just going to have a nice talk with Leonard…” Hal assured. Neither he nor Barry actually believed that.

“Alfred, can you get the Batwing ready? Batman will be going to Central for an investigation concerning Captain Cold and Heatwave,” Bruce said as he stood, tousling Barry’s hair with a little smile as he moved to leave the room.

Hal let out a sigh, “Alright baby, let's get you ready to go home.” Hal said. Barry nodded silently, chewing his fingers.

~~~

A mere hour later and they were back in Central City. Barry was wiggling happily, ready to run around the labs and greet all his family. Hal set him down gently and watched as Barry struggled to walk over to everyone, almost falling multiple times. 

Everyone smiled and hugged the speedster before Joe finally lifted him happily. Barry clung to him instantly, his anxiety forgotten. Hal started to fill everyone in on the happenings and how Barry had been acting since Hal had returned to Earth.

It didn’t take too long for Barry’s nerves to kick up once it settled with his mind who he was with. Hal took him instantly, trying to calm him. Hal was unsure of what set the baby off but continued with the conversation with the lab gang. “Spooky is on Cold’s case. He isn’t going to follow Barry’s agreement even if he is on Central. We need to get to Leonard and see what’s going on. Everyone here knows he left that life behind. Something’s got to be up.”

Barry began to get more and more upset when hearing the conversation, wailing in high pitched tones. Hal walked into the med bay, hoping to calm the Little into sleep. He rejoined the group fifteen minutes later. He was thankful that Barry seemed to fall asleep easier and easier these days.

“What are we going to do about this? We can’t risk Cold getting pissed and revealing barry’s identity.”

“He won’t,” Cisco assured. “Though that doesn’t mean that there’s no reason to get involved. Cold hasn’t been criminally active in a long time. He consistently helps Barry and keeps the Rogues in check. Something’s gotta be up.”

“So, what do we do?”

“I can run a trace on him. See if satellites have picked anything up but if he was really involved in Gotham he has probably gone underground by now. Barry knows where all his warehouses are. Only he’d know where Leonard would go after a heist.” Cisco said as he typed on his computers. “Lab’s satellite is at work. Hopefully, we get a hit.”

“If the trace doesn’t work we need to figure another way out to find him,” Cait said

“Knowing Spooky, he’s already got a few leads,” Hal admitted. “We need to hurry.”

“I can get the CCPD on an APB,” Joe said, moving to leave. 

“Good idea. The more eyes the better,” Hal said. “Though the whole point of this is to keep him from getting arrested…”

“The point of this is to figure out what’s going on. If that takes a police interrogation, so be it.” Joe said. Hal sent him a nod as he headed out.

~~~

The satellites haven’t picked anything up,” Cisco said sadly.

“Same on Joe’s end,” Cait told them as she hung up her phone. 

“What now?” Hal asked, arms crossed.

“There’s one other thing we could try…” Cait said nervously.

“What?” Hal asked.

“You can’t be serious, Cait?” Cisco said.

“He’s the only one that’ll be able to find him before Batman.”

“Hell no. We can’t try to force him up. That could be dangerous and who knows if he’ll be able to go down again!” Hal said sternly. “We have no clue what it would do nor how his Big side would act! It’s far too risky.”

“All I know is that Barry would be far angrier if we didn’t do all we could to get to Leonard first,” Cait replied.

Hal glanced at the Little in the med bay. He was awake now, it was clear from all the movement on the cot. Hal let out a sigh, unfolding his arms, “What do we need to do?”

“Talk to him. All he needs to know is that Leonard needs him. That should be more than enough for Barry.” Cait told Hal.

“Alright.” Hal walked into the med bay, sitting on the edge of the bed as Barry laid there sleepily. Hal let out one last sigh. “Hey buddy,” He started as he moved to help Barry sit up. “I need to talk to you about something. You remember Leonard, right? Captain Cold?” Hal waited for Barry to nod before moving on.

“We are trying to find him before Batman so that we can talk with him,” Hal assured him. “We ran into a bit of a problem. The satellites can’t trace him, we have no way to find him. I know that you know where all his warehouses are. We need your help to find him.” Hal watched Barry closely the whole time he spoke, watching as Barry's eyes began to get cloudy, then clear just as fast. Hal could tell it was from his headspaces as he readjusted to being Big. It was the first time in over a month that he was Big after all…

One moment, Barry was adjusting right in front of him and the next he was gone, suit off the mannequin as Hal returned to the cortex. “Well, that worked easier than I hoped it would…” Hal noted aloud.

“Barry has always been quick to help his family…” Cait replied. 

“That is who he is…” Hal said quietly. “I didn’t expect him being Big would fill me with this much relief. I’m happy to see that he can still pull himself up. Maybe no we can finally get some answers.” Hal said.

“All his vitals are in check,” Cait said as they watched the satellite track Barry’s movements through the city. “Looks like his health is perfect.”

“You guys tracking his speed?” Cisco asked, watching the numbers fly higher than they had before.

“Jesus, does he normally run that fast?” Hal exclaimed.

“No,” Cait admitted. “He’s not gone this fast since he saved Snart from the timestream.”

“Hmm…” Hal mumbled, soon getting lost in thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)


	14. What's With Cold?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry brings in Leonard quickly and the Labs gang needs to figure out what's up with Barry's frosty friend before Batman gets his hands on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'd say this has a mysterious plot coming up...
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Barry was gone for a total of three minutes and twenty-two seconds. That’s how long it took for him to drag a miserable looking Cold into the Cortex. Leonard fell onto his ass before being pulled right back up by his jacket and getting slammed against the wall by a clearly furious Barry Allen.

“What’s going on, Len?” Barry asked in an unusually aggressive tone.

“Cool it, Scarlet,” Leonard said with a straight face as he moved to remove Barry’s hands from his parka. “Now what are you talking about?”

“The robbery in Gotham you and Heatwave pulled last week,” Lantern filled in as he stepped up next to Barry.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Mick and I haven’t been to Gotham in almost three years,” Cold drawled completely deadpan.

“You pulled a job in Gotham just last week, Leonard,” Barry snapped. “The video feeds were cut with the same signature marks you always left behind. There were scorch marks, frost, and ice all over the museum from your fight with Nightwing.”

“Scarlet I really have no idea what you’re talking about,” Len said softly. “I lead the Rogues but I don’t go on heists with them anymore. My position there is merely for the sake of control and regulation. You know that,”

“Then why is there evidence consistent with your MO in Gotham?” Hal asked.

“Is something going on that you can’t tell me?” Barry asked, eyes tearing as he was slowly getting ripped from his Big headspace. He was never able to deal with secrets and lies all that well.

“No, I promise,” Len said a little panicked. “What’s going on with him?” he asked Hal.

“He’s going back down, fast,” Hal replied, picking up the Little before he absolutely lost his shit. 

“He’s what?”

“Going back down into Littlespace. We just barely managed to get him up to look for you before Batman hunted you down,” Hal told him. “He’s been in Littlespace for over a month now,”

“I’m not even going to question it,” Len stated, “This is Barry after all. He’s okay, though, right?”

“Yeah,” Hal assured, “He’ll be just fine. He and everyone here are more worried about you right now. You do have the Bat after you,” Hal brought up again. 

“You’ve got some explaining to do, Cold,” he said sternly.

Cold just looked to Cait and Cisco who just shrugged in return. “I seriously have no idea what anyone is on about,” Len said with a sigh as he followed Hal into the med bay, pinching his nose with his fingers.

Hal got Barry settled in for a nap and instantly turned to Leonard. “Now, we have proof you were in Gotham and you have no memory of being there.”

“I guess,” Leonard replied.

“Then why have you been hiding out?”

“I have no reason to go anywhere,” Len stated. “I was just taking some time off from the Rogues these last few days. Staying with them constantly can be damned aggravating. I jump from warehouse to warehouse all the time.”

Hal walked back out into the Cortex, “Cait, are there any tests we can run to see if Leonard’s mind has been messed with recently? Something that could have affected his memory?”

“I could do a few scans and see if there are any abnormalities,” Cait confirmed.

“Perfect. Let’s start there,” Hal said, turning a careful eye to Leonard as Cait walked them back into the med bay.

~~~

Bruce was frustrated, to say the least. He’d been able to find all of Cold and Heatwave warehouses easily, but none of them lead to anything. Cold and Heatwave had been thoroughly covering all their tracks for weeks. One warehouse had the rest of the Rogues but without a solid reason, he wasn’t about to poke that beehive without any backup.

He was stumped on what to do.

He wondered how Barry and Hal were doing and then had an epiphany. Hal had gotten involved. He had solid evidence that had led him to the warehouse by Saints and Sinners. Leonard should have been there unless Hal had gotten involved.

He left the warehouse and headed straight for the batmobile. He was going to stop in at STAR Labs to see his boyfriend. Barry was inevitably there as well, and while it was highly unlikely, they might’ve even gotten Barry to help them find Leonard.

~~~

Leonard laid still as his scans were taken. It didn’t take long with the advanced tech at STAR and soon Cait was staring intensely at his scans. “I’m not seeing anything abnormal, though it would be easier to tell if we had some health records or previous scans. Just a basic look shows nothing wrong,” Cait assured.

“What would explain his memory loss then?” Hal asked, baffled.

“Let me run one more test,” Cait told them.

“You’re not thinking?” Cisco asked.

“Possibly,” Cait replied. “We’ve all seen and experienced an MO like this before. Let me just compare Leonard’s scan with some of the scans of others that were affected.”

Cait pulled up a few more brain scans with different looking filters and ran Len’s through a matching one. It looked different than the rest so she pulled up another series of scans. This time it was a match. She let out a sigh. 

Things had clearly just gotten worse…

“What is it, Cait?” Len asked. “Did you find something?”

“Yeah,” Cisco sighed as he looked at the scans. “Yeah, she did.”

“Len’s scans match up to residual scans taken from other people who were controlled by-” Cait said before getting cut off.

“Grodd,” a deep voice added. Hal tensed. If he knew one thing, it was that by that tone, Bruce was clearly angry.

“Grodd?” Leonard asked.

“Telepathic gorilla,” Cisco said blatantly.

“Oh dear god, Grodd is back?” Joe asked as he joined everyone in the med bay.

“There’s a telepathic gorilla running around Central?” Leonard asked. “Why did nobody ever mention this?” Leonard asked.

“Because he’d been on another Earth,” Joe replied. “He’s been in Gorilla City on Earth 2 since Harry helped us send him there.”

“So what do we do?” Leonard asked. 

“We’ll think of something,” Batman said. “We need to know what he’s planning, first and foremost,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you soon! ;)

**Author's Note:**

> See you soon! ;)


End file.
